Sheep Lambing Guide: Preparing for a Successful Lambing Season

Understanding the Sheep Breeding Cycle and Lambing Dates

Lambing season is the most critical — and most labor-intensive — period in the sheep production year. Everything that happens in the weeks before, during, and after lambing determines the number and health of lambs you raise and, ultimately, the economic success of your flock. Thorough preparation, a solid understanding of normal ovine parturition, and the ability to recognize and respond to problems can mean the difference between a good lambing season and a catastrophic one.

This guide covers everything a sheep producer needs to know: breeding basics, pre-lambing nutrition and vaccination, preparing your facilities, managing normal and difficult deliveries, newborn lamb care, and knowing when to pick up the phone and call your sheep veterinarian.

The Ewe Estrous Cycle

Ewes are seasonally polyestrous — they cycle repeatedly during a period triggered by decreasing day length (photoperiod). As days shorten after the summer solstice, rising melatonin levels signal the hypothalamus to initiate reproductive cycles. For most breeds in the northern hemisphere, the natural breeding season runs from approximately August through January, with peak activity from September through November.

The estrous cycle of the ewe averages 16–17 days (range: 14–19 days). Standing estrus lasts 24–36 hours. Ovulation occurs near the end of standing estrus, approximately 24–30 hours after onset. This timing dictates the optimal moment for natural service or artificial insemination.

Ram-to-Ewe Ratio

For natural service, the recommended ratio is 1 ram per 25–50 ewes in a synchronized flock and 1 ram per 50–100 ewes in a non-synchronized flock. Young rams or rams with soundness issues may need a lower ratio. Ram soundness examination (BSE) by a veterinarian before the breeding season evaluates semen quality (motility, morphology, concentration), reproductive tract anatomy, body condition, and structural soundness. An infertile or low-fertility ram can silently waste an entire breeding season — 50 ewes re-breed or remain open before the problem is detected.

Out-of-Season Breeding: Year-Round Lambing

Some breeds are less seasonally restricted than others. Breeds with documented out-of-season breeding capability include Dorset, Rambouillet, Merino, Polypay, and East Friesian. These breeds allow accelerated lambing programs.

The STAR system (developed at Cornell University) is a 5-lambing-in-3-years accelerated program using a 73-day breeding cycle. It requires out-of-season breeding capability (Dorset and Polypay crosses work well), melatonin implants or ram introduction for out-of-season stimulation, and more intensive management than once-yearly lambing. The productivity gains (1.67 lamb crops per year vs. 1.0) can be economically significant for producers with labor and facilities to support it.

Calculating Lambing Dates

Sheep gestation averages 147 days (range: 144–152 days). Practical shortcut: count back 5 months and add 2 days from the breeding date. For example, ewes bred on October 15 will lamb approximately March 11. Mark your calendar at the first day of ram introduction, which gives you the earliest possible lambing date.

Pre-Lambing Nutrition: The Final 6 Weeks

The last 6 weeks of gestation are the most nutritionally demanding period in the ewe's production cycle. During this period, 70% of fetal growth occurs, and the ewe's udder develops in preparation for lactation. Getting nutrition right in this window directly determines lamb birth weights, lamb vigor, colostrum quality, and ewe health.

Flushing: Pre-Breeding Nutrition

Flushing is the practice of increasing the energy intake of ewes 2–3 weeks before and 1–2 weeks after the start of the breeding season. Ewes in rising body condition at the time of breeding produce more eggs (higher ovulation rate), resulting in more twins and triplets. Flushing is most effective in thin ewes (BCS 2.0–2.5) — taking them to BCS 3.0–3.5 by ram introduction. Add 0.25–0.5 lb of grain per ewe per day on top of base forage for 2–3 weeks pre-breeding.

"Steaming Up": Late Gestation Grain Supplementation

In the final 4–6 weeks of gestation, the growing fetuses increasingly limit rumen capacity — the ewe physically cannot eat enough forage to meet her energy needs. Without supplemental grain (the "steaming up" ration), ewes lose body condition rapidly and are at risk of pregnancy toxemia (twin lamb disease, ketosis).

Pregnancy Toxemia

Pregnancy toxemia occurs when energy deficit triggers excessive fat mobilization, leading to ketone body accumulation and liver damage. It most commonly affects thin ewes (BCS < 2.5) or fat ewes (BCS > 4.0) carrying multiple fetuses in the last 2–3 weeks of gestation. Clinical signs include depression, separation from the flock, teeth grinding, blindness, stargazing, recumbency, and death within 3–5 days without treatment.

Recommended steaming-up ration:

• Weeks 5–6 before lambing: 0.25–0.5 lb grain/ewe/day
• Weeks 3–4 before lambing: 0.5–1.0 lb grain/ewe/day
• Weeks 1–2 before lambing: 1.0–1.5 lb grain/ewe/day (twin/triplet ewes up to 2.0 lb)

Trace Mineral Supplementation

Selenium and White Muscle Disease

Selenium deficiency is widespread in the United States, particularly in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes regions. Selenium-deficient ewes produce selenium-deficient lambs who develop white muscle disease (nutritional muscular dystrophy) — pale, degenerated skeletal and cardiac muscles that cause weakness, inability to rise, respiratory distress, and death in lambs from birth to 3 months of age.

Options for selenium supplementation:

• BoSe injection (selenium + vitamin E): Given to ewes 3–4 weeks before lambing in selenium-deficient areas. Injectable selenium is the most reliable method. CAUTION: selenium toxicity occurs at doses only 2–3x the therapeutic dose — accurate dosing is critical. Your veterinarian must prescribe BoSe.
• Oral selenium supplements: Selenium boluses (slow-release rumen bolus) or selenium-containing mineral supplements. Ensure you know the selenium content of your forages and supplements — over-supplementation causes selenosis.

Other Key Trace Minerals

• Copper: Important for wool quality and immune function. Sheep are highly susceptible to copper toxicity — never use cattle mineral supplements, which contain copper levels toxic to sheep. Use only sheep-specific mineral formulations.
• Zinc: Important for immune function, skin health, and wool production. Zinc deficiency (parakeratosis) causes crusty skin lesions and reduced growth.
• Iodine: Deficiency causes goiter in newborn lambs and stillbirth. Iodized salt in the mineral supplement prevents deficiency.

Pre-Lambing Vaccinations

Vaccination of ewes 3–4 weeks before lambing is one of the most important and economical preventive health practices in sheep production. The goal is to maximize antibody concentrations in colostrum, which the lamb ingests in its first hours of life.

CDT Vaccination (C&D + Tetanus)

CDT is the foundation of the sheep vaccination program. It protects against:

• Clostridium perfringens type C: Causes hemorrhagic enteritis in young lambs, often within the first 2 weeks of life. Sudden death in lambs that were healthy hours before is a classic presentation.
• Clostridium perfringens type D: Causes overeating disease (pulpy kidney disease) in older lambs and adults on high-grain or lush pasture diets. Rapid, often sudden death.
• Clostridium tetani: Tetanus — particularly relevant for lambs after tail docking and castration.

CDT Vaccination Schedule

• Previously vaccinated ewes: Single booster dose 3–4 weeks before expected lambing date.
• Previously unvaccinated ewes: Two doses 3–4 weeks apart; second dose 2–4 weeks before lambing.
• Lambs from vaccinated ewes: Begin CDT at 6–8 weeks of age; two doses 3–4 weeks apart. Annual boosters thereafter.
• Lambs from unvaccinated ewes: Begin CDT at 2–3 weeks of age; two doses 3–4 weeks apart.

Other Pre-Lambing Vaccines

• Sore Mouth (Orf/Contagious Ecthyma): Live virus vaccine applied by scarification. Use only in flocks where orf is known to be present. Zoonotic risk — the virus can infect humans.
• Campylobacter (Vibriosis): A leading cause of abortion storms — abortion rates can reach 30–70% in naive, unvaccinated flocks. Annual booster 4–6 weeks pre-lambing.
• Chlamydia (Enzootic Abortion of Ewes): The most common cause of infectious ovine abortion worldwide. Serious zoonotic hazard for pregnant women. Annual booster pre-lambing.

Pre-Lambing Foot and Parasite Management

Foot Rot Treatment Before Lambing

Foot rot (Dichelobacter nodosus) and foot scald (Fusobacterium necrophorum) cause lameness that directly impacts feed intake and body condition. A lame ewe in late gestation is at high risk for pregnancy toxemia. Treat all lame ewes at least 4 weeks before lambing.

Parasite Management: FAMACHA and Targeted Selective Treatment

Barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) is the most economically important parasite in sheep in most of the United States. Ewes experience a periparturient immune suppression that allows worm burdens to surge during late gestation and early lactation.

The FAMACHA system scores the color of the ocular mucous membrane on a 1–5 scale, where 1 is cherry red (no anemia) and 5 is white (severe anemia). Only ewes scoring FAMACHA 3–5 are treated. This targeted selective treatment (TST) approach reduces selection pressure for anthelmintic resistance.

Avoid deworming in the final 2–4 weeks of gestation when possible — handling stress can precipitate pregnancy toxemia or premature lambing. Treat only FAMACHA 3–5 ewes or those with clinical signs of anemia.

Preparing the Lambing Facility

Lambing Jugs (Individual Pens)

The lambing jug — a small individual pen — is the single most important piece of lambing infrastructure. It serves three critical purposes: confining the ewe and her newborn lamb(s) together to prevent mismothering and promote bonding; protecting vulnerable newborns from being crushed or separated; and allowing close observation of ewe and lamb health in the first 24–48 hours.

Minimum jug size: 4 feet x 5 feet per ewe-and-lamb(s) unit. Larger (5x5) is better for twins and triplets. Plan for 10–15% of your flock as active lambing pens simultaneously.

Jug Setup and Bedding

• Bedding: Deep, dry straw bedding — at least 4–6 inches. Change bedding between ewes; do not bed over old bedding.
• Cleanliness: Disinfect jugs with dilute bleach or agricultural disinfectant between ewes. This dramatically reduces the load of environmental pathogens.
• Water and hay: Fresh water and quality hay should be available to the ewe in the jug from the start.
• Heat lamp positioning: Position at least 18–24 inches above bedding and secure with a chain. Heat lamp fires are a leading cause of barn fires. Keep the lamp in one corner so the lamb can move away if too warm.

Equipment Checklist for the Lambing Pen

• 7% tincture of iodine for navel dipping
• Navel cup (small cup for full navel immersion — do not just paint)
• OB lubricant (a generous supply)
• OB gloves (long-sleeved obstetrical gloves)
• Lamb snare/traction straps or lamb puller
• Lamb feeding tube and 60 mL syringe
• Colostrum replacer or stored frozen colostrum
• Lamb milk replacer (in case bottle lambs are needed)
• Propylene glycol (for pregnancy toxemia treatment)
• Lamb warming box or hair dryer (for hypothermic lambs)
• Digital thermometer
• Small scale for weighing lambs at birth
• Elastrator and rubber rings for castration and tail docking
• Ear tags and tagger
• Your sheep veterinarian's phone number posted at eye level

Signs of Approaching Labor

2–3 Weeks Before Lambing: Udder Development

The ewe's udder enlarges progressively in the final 3–4 weeks of gestation as it fills with colostrum. In ewes that have lambed before, udder development is more dramatic and easier to detect. The teats fill and become firm; in the final 24 hours, colostrum may drip from the teats spontaneously.

1–2 Weeks Before Lambing: "Springing"

The ligaments on either side of the tailhead (the sacro-iliac and sacro-sciatic ligaments) relax under the influence of the hormone relaxin. This relaxation — called "springing" — causes the area on either side of the tail root to become soft and sunken. Run your fingers along the tailhead: in a ewe a week or more from lambing, the tissues feel firm; in a ewe within a few days, your fingers sink in on either side of the tail.

Hours Before Lambing: Behavioral Signs

• Restlessness: The ewe paces, gets up and lies down repeatedly
• Isolation: She separates from the flock and seeks a corner or sheltered spot
• Pawing the ground: "Nesting" behavior — she paws and circles the area where she will lamb
• Vocalization: Low grunts and bleatings
• Vulvar discharge: Clear to amber mucous discharge from the vulva — the cervical plug — indicates the cervix is dilating
• Water bag: The pale-yellow amniotic sac protrudes from the vulva; active straining typically begins within 30–60 minutes of water bag appearance

Stages of Labor in the Ewe

Stage 1: Cervical Dilation (2–6 Hours)

During Stage 1, the cervix dilates from its closed state to the 4–5 cm opening needed for the lamb to pass. The ewe shows behavioral signs of restlessness, isolation, and pawing, but is not yet visibly pushing. Stage 1 typically lasts 2–6 hours in ewes that have lambed before and up to 8–12 hours in first-time lambers.

What to do during Stage 1: observe quietly from a distance. Do not handle the ewe or interfere unless she shows signs of distress. Interference during Stage 1 is one of the most common causes of abnormal presentations.

Stage 2: Delivery of the Lamb (30–45 Minutes Normal)

Stage 2 begins when the water bag appears and active abdominal straining begins. A ewe that is straining actively should deliver her first lamb within 30–45 minutes of the start of visible straining.

Normal Presentation

The normal ("diving") presentation is both front hooves emerging first, soles facing down, with the lamb's nose resting on top of the front hooves. This is the anterior longitudinal dorsal presentation. In this position, the lamb's narrowest profile leads the way, and once the head is through, delivery of the body is rapid.

The 30-Minute Rule

If the ewe has been straining actively for 30 minutes with no lamb delivered and no visible progress, intervene.

Similarly, if the water bag has broken and 20–30 minutes have passed without delivery, intervene. Once the water bag breaks, the lubricating fluids drain, making delivery more difficult with each passing minute.

Stage 3: Passage of the Placenta

The placenta is normally expelled within 1–4 hours of delivery. A retained placenta (not expelled within 12 hours) should prompt a veterinary call. Unlike cattle, manual removal of retained placentas is not recommended in sheep.

Malpresentations and Dystocia

Dystocia (difficult birth) occurs in approximately 2–5% of ewings in well-managed flocks. It is more common in first-time lambers, large single lambs, and multiple births.

Head-Back (Head Retained)

The most common malpresentation in sheep. Both front legs are presented correctly, but the head is turned back along the lamb's body. You will feel two hooves but no muzzle when you examine the ewe internally.

Correction: Apply generous lubrication. Push the legs back slightly to create room. Follow one leg back toward the lamb's neck. Find the head — usually turned to one side — cup the muzzle in your palm and guide it forward over the legs. Once the head is in normal position, gentle traction can assist delivery. If you cannot correct within 5–10 minutes, call your veterinarian.

One Leg Back

One front leg is presented, the other is retained back. Push the lamb back, find the retained leg, cup the hoof in your palm (to protect the uterine wall), and bring it forward. Once both legs are forward with the head, assist as for normal delivery.

Breech Presentation (Posterior)

The lamb is presented tail-first, with the hind legs tucked forward. Push the lamb forward, find one hind leg, cup the hoof, and bring it back. Then find the second hind leg. Once both hind legs are extended, apply traction in a slightly downward arc. Hind-leg-first deliveries require speed — the lamb's umbilicus is compressed against the pelvic brim and the lamb will asphyxiate if not delivered quickly.

Hip Lock

A large lamb that has passed the head and shoulders but whose hips become stuck at the pelvic brim. Correction: rotate the lamb 45–90 degrees on its long axis. This changes the alignment of the lamb's hips relative to the ewe's pelvis, often freeing the impaction.

Ringwomb (Failure of Cervical Dilation)

Ringwomb is a condition in which the cervix fails to dilate beyond 1–3 cm despite prolonged Stage 2 labor. Attempting to force dilation tears the cervix, causing life-threatening hemorrhage. If after 30 minutes of straining you cannot get your fingers more than 2–3 cm into the cervix, ringwomb is the likely diagnosis. Administer oxytocin (only after verifying the cervix is at least partially open — never give oxytocin with a closed cervix). If no progress within 30 minutes, call your veterinarian immediately for a cesarean section. Find a sheep veterinarian who performs C-sections before lambing season — not during it.

Twins and Triplets

In commercial sheep production, 60% or more of ewes in well-managed flocks will lamb with twins. Triplets are common in prolific breeds (Finnsheep, Romanov, Rambouillet) and in flocks where flushing is practiced.

Managing Triplets

Most ewes struggle to raise triplets. Options include supplementing the smallest (C) lamb with creep feeding or supplemental bottle feeding, fostering one lamb onto a ewe that lost a lamb, raising one as a bottle lamb, or on operations without bottle lamb labor, fostering is more practical.

Obstetrical Emergencies

Prolapsed Uterus

Uterine prolapse — eversion of the uterus through the vulva — is one of the most dramatic and serious obstetrical emergencies in sheep. It typically occurs within 1–4 hours of delivery, triggered by continued straining after the lambs are born. A fully prolapsed uterus will dry, swell, and sustain irreversible damage within 30–60 minutes of exposure.

Emergency first aid while waiting for the veterinarian:

1. Apply granulated sugar liberally to the surface of the prolapsed uterus — the osmotic effect draws water out of edematous tissue, reducing swelling and making replacement easier.
2. Elevate the uterus to the level of the vulva to reduce swelling.
3. Apply gentle, steady, continuous pressure with both palms — never the fingers — to reduce the uterus back through the vulva.
4. If successfully replaced, your veterinarian should administer epidural anesthesia to reduce straining, suture the vulva (Buhner suture), and provide systemic antibiotics and calcium.

Call your veterinarian immediately. For all obstetrical emergencies, find an emergency large animal veterinarian near you on FarmVetGuide.

Newborn Lamb Care: The First 30 Minutes

The first 30 minutes of a lamb's life are the most critical. Lambs are born wet, at high risk for hypothermia, and dependent on immediate intervention to clear their airway and stimulate vigorous respiration.

Airway Clearance

1. Clear the nose and mouth of membranes and mucus immediately after delivery.
2. If the lamb is not breathing, hold it upside down briefly to drain fluid from the airway.
3. Vigorously rub the lamb with a dry towel — this dries the coat (reduces heat loss) and stimulates breathing through tactile stimulation.
4. If still not breathing: tickle the nostril with a piece of straw to stimulate a gasp reflex; gentle mouth-to-nose resuscitation; or pinch the ear.
5. In very weak lambs, 1–2 mL of doxapram (respiratory stimulant) under the tongue can stimulate breathing.

Bonding and Identification

Allow the ewe to lick her lamb immediately after birth — this stimulates circulation and respiration, dries the coat, and critically, the ewe imprints on the specific scent of her lamb during licking. Ewes identify their lambs primarily by smell. Disrupting this bonding period in the first minutes after birth is the most common cause of mismothering.

Navel Dipping

Dip the navel stump in 7% tincture of iodine within 15–30 minutes of birth. Use a small cup to fully immerse the cord — do not paint iodine on with a brush, which is inadequate. Dip again at 6–12 hours if the cord has not dried. The cord should be dry and hard within 24–48 hours. Omphalitis (navel ill, joint ill) kills lambs within the first week of life and is almost entirely preventable with proper navel dipping and clean lambing facilities.

First Weighing

Weigh every lamb at birth. Normal birth weight: 8–12 lb for most breeds; 6–8 lb for meat breed singles; 5–9 lb for twins. Lambs under 5 lb are high risk for hypothermia and require extra monitoring and colostrum support.

Colostrum: The Most Critical Nutrition

Colostrum is the lamb's entire immune system for the first weeks of its life. Lambs are born with essentially no circulating immunoglobulins because the ewe's placenta does not allow antibody transfer from mother to fetus. Lambs have approximately 18–24 hours for intestinal antibody absorption — and peak absorption occurs in the first 2–4 hours.

The 10% Rule

Every lamb must receive colostrum equal to at least 10% of its body weight within the first 18 hours of life:

• 3 kg (6.6 lb) lamb: minimum 300 mL colostrum
• 4 kg (8.8 lb) lamb: minimum 400 mL colostrum
• 5 kg (11 lb) lamb: minimum 500 mL colostrum

Tube Feeding Colostrum

When a lamb cannot or will not nurse effectively, tube feeding is the fastest, most reliable way to deliver colostrum. Warm colostrum to body temperature (38–39°C). Hold the lamb upright. Measure the tube from the lamb's nose to the last rib. Gently pass the tube over the tongue, down the esophagus, into the stomach. Confirm correct placement by feeling the tube in the esophagus alongside the trachea. Deliver colostrum over 30–60 seconds: 50–60 mL for a 3 kg lamb; 80–100 mL for a 5 kg lamb.

Colostrum Quality and Alternatives

• Frozen stored ewe colostrum: The gold standard. Collect excess colostrum from high-producing ewes, freeze in 100 mL bags, store for up to one year. Thaw in warm water — never microwave (microwaving destroys immunoglobulins).
• Cow colostrum: The most practical emergency alternative. Bovine IgG is absorbed by lamb gut cells. Heat treat at 56°C for 60 minutes to eliminate Johne's disease risk before feeding.
• Commercial colostrum replacers: Products specifically labeled as "colostrum replacers" (not "supplements") contain sufficient IgG for protection. Follow label directions carefully.
• OPP (Ovine Progressive Pneumonia) prevention: OPP virus is transmitted primarily through colostrum and milk. On OPP-infected farms, heat-treating ewe colostrum at 56°C for 60 minutes and raising lambs on pasteurized milk or milk replacer is the only management strategy to prevent transmission.

Mismothering, Fostering, and Adoption

Mismothering

Mismothering — a ewe rejecting her lamb — is the leading cause of starvation in lambs after hypothermia. It is most common in first-time lambers, ewes disturbed during the bonding window, and triplet situations.

Bonding jug protocol: Confine the ewe and lamb(s) in a small jug (4x4 ft) for 24–48 hours. The physical proximity forces repeated nose-to-nose contact and nursing opportunities. Most ewes that were initially reluctant accept their lambs within 24 hours.

For ewes that actively butt or kick their lambs, a stand or stanchion can restrain the ewe while the lamb nurses — repeat 4–5 times per day. Most ewes gradually accept the lamb over 2–4 days.

Fostering Onto Bereaved Ewes

Ewes recognize lambs by smell, so fostering requires masking the foreign lamb's scent:

• Wet adoption: Rub the foster lamb with the birth fluids and membranes from the bereaved ewe's own lamb. Works best within 12 hours of the ewe's birth.
• Lamb coat (skin from dead lamb): Skin the dead lamb and put its skin over the foster lamb like a coat. Remove after 24–48 hours once acceptance is established.
• Ewe nasal lavage with vapor rub: Apply Vicks VapoRub to the ewe's nostrils and the lamb's hindquarters simultaneously to temporarily block smell. Requires reapplication every 4–6 hours for 48–72 hours.

Bottle Lambs: Raising Rejected or Orphaned Lambs

Milk Replacer Selection

Use a milk replacer specifically formulated for lambs — not cattle or pig formula. Lamb milk replacer has higher fat content (20–30% fat on dry matter basis). Look for all-milk protein sources (whey, skim milk) rather than plant proteins (soy, wheat), which cause diarrhea in young lambs.

Feeding Schedule

Introduce high-quality grass hay and starter grain (18–20% CP) from week 2–3. Early rumen development is important for weaning success. Wean at 6–8 weeks when lambs are eating solid feed well.

Common Newborn Lamb Problems in the First Week

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is the number-one killer of newborn lambs. Lambs are most vulnerable at birth — wet coat, small body mass, no fat reserves.

• Mild (rectal temp 37–39°C / 99–102°F): Alive, shivering, weak but standing or trying to stand. Treatment: dry the coat, warm the environment, ensure colostrum intake. Most recover fully within 1–2 hours.
• Moderate (rectal temp 32–37°C / 90–99°F): Lying down, shivering has stopped (a bad sign), cannot stand. Treatment: rapid warming in a lamb warming box (40°C air temp), warm water immersion (body only), or hair dryer on low. Tube feed colostrum or glucose solution once warming begins. Do NOT tube feed a lamb under 37°C — the stomach is not functional.
• Severe (rectal temp <32°C / <90°F): Comatose, appears dead — check for heartbeat. Hypoglycemia is now life-threatening in addition to hypothermia. Treatment: intraperitoneal injection of 20% glucose (10–20 mL warmed to body temperature) while rapidly warming. This technique requires instruction from your veterinarian but can save lambs that would otherwise die.

Floppy Lamb Syndrome (Neonatal Hypoglycemia)

Occurs when lambs have not received adequate colostrum and blood glucose drops to critical levels — typically within 6–24 hours of birth. The lamb is found lying on its side, unresponsive, with normal or low temperature, sometimes with muscle tremors. Treatment: oral propylene glycol (5 mL, repeat every 30 minutes for 2–3 doses) or oral glucose solution, followed immediately by tube-fed colostrum or milk replacer. Prevention: ensure all lambs receive adequate colostrum in the first 2–4 hours.

Joint Ill (Polyarthritis, Omphalophlebitis)

Results from bacterial infection entering the bloodstream through the umbilicus in the first days of life. Affected lambs stop nursing, become depressed, develop swollen, hot, painful joints, and quickly deteriorate. Treatment with systemic antibiotics (penicillin-streptomycin or oxytetracycline) is most effective when started within 24–48 hours of the first joint swelling. Prevention: proper navel dipping, clean lambing facilities, and adequate passive immunity through colostrum.

Enterotoxemia Type C (Hemorrhagic Enteritis)

Caused by Clostridium perfringens type C toxin; causes hemorrhagic diarrhea and sudden death in lambs under 2 weeks of age. Lambs from vaccinated ewes are protected through colostral antibodies. Prevention by CDT vaccination of the ewe pre-lambing is far more effective than treatment. Lambs from unvaccinated ewes may be vaccinated with C&D antitoxin at birth as temporary protection.

Post-Lambing Ewe Care

Mastitis

Mastitis occurs most commonly in the first 2 weeks after lambing. Signs include a hard, swollen, painful udder quarter; discolored or clotted milk; fever; and depression. Gangrenous mastitis (cold, blue-black quarter beginning to slough) is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention. Treatment: systemic antibiotics, frequent milking out, warm compresses, and anti-inflammatories.

Metritis (Uterine Infection)

Metritis can follow dystocia, retained placenta, or contaminated obstetrical intervention. Signs include foul-smelling vaginal discharge, fever, depression, and reduced milk production. Treatment: systemic antibiotics and in some cases uterine flushing under veterinary guidance.

Milk Fever (Hypocalcemia)

Occurs within 24–72 hours of lambing, triggered by the acute calcium demand of lactation. Most common in ewes with triplets. Signs: progressive muscle weakness, ataxia, inability to rise, cold extremities, low rumen motility. Treatment: slow intravenous or subcutaneous calcium borogluconate — response is typically dramatic, with the ewe rising within 15–30 minutes.

Castration and Tail Docking

Tail docking and castration of ram lambs are routine management practices in most U.S. sheep operations. Both are most commonly performed using a rubber elastrator ring within the first 24–48 hours of birth.

Tail Docking

The AVMA recommends docking the tail at the distal third of the tail — leaving enough tail to cover the vulva of the ewe and the anus of the ram. Over-docking increases the risk of rectal prolapse and provides inadequate coverage, increasing flystrike risk. Under-docking defeats the purpose of the procedure.

Castration

Castrate ram lambs that will be sold as market lambs. Confirm both testes are below the ring before releasing the elastrator — accidentally leaving one testicle above creates a one-sided castrate that is still fertile. The AVMA recommends use of local anesthetic (lidocaine) when feasible.

Tetanus risk: Castration and tail docking are significant tetanus risks. Lambs from vaccinated ewes are protected through colostral antibodies for 4–8 weeks. Lambs from unvaccinated ewes should receive tetanus antitoxin (TAT) at the time of docking and castration.

Important Diseases: OPP and Scrapie

Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP)

OPP is caused by an ovine lentivirus (Maedi-Visna virus). Transmitted primarily through colostrum and milk. Once infected, sheep remain infected for life — no treatment exists. The virus causes progressive wasting: pneumonia, indurative mastitis (hard udder with low milk production), arthritis, and occasionally encephalitis.

Management strategies: test and cull (annual blood testing, removing positive animals), test and segregate (separate negative and positive groups), or colostrum management (heat-treat colostrum from positive ewes, raise lambs on pasteurized milk or milk replacer). If establishing a new flock or introducing new animals, test all additions before introduction.

Scrapie

Scrapie is a prion disease of sheep and goats causing progressive, fatal neurological disease. The USDA Scrapie Eradication Program requires all sheep and goats to be officially identified (USDA scrapie eartag) before moving interstate or to a slaughter facility.

Genetic resistance exists — the PRNP gene has multiple alleles with varying susceptibility. Selecting breeding rams for the RR genotype at codon 171 provides significant scrapie resistance. Commercial genotyping tests are available through your veterinarian.

Record Keeping for Lambing Season

When to Call Your Sheep Veterinarian

Good shepherds know their limits. Call your sheep veterinarian immediately in these situations:

• Dystocia lasting more than 30–40 minutes of active straining with no progress
• Ringwomb — cervix that will not dilate beyond 2–3 cm
• Uterine prolapse — treat as an emergency; call while a helper applies sugar
• Malpresentation you cannot correct within 10 minutes
• Gangrenous mastitis — cold, discolored udder quarter with systemic illness
• Sick lamb within 24 hours of birth — neurological signs, failure to stand, coma
• Ewe off feed and depressed after lambing — possible metritis or milk fever
• Multiple ewes aborting — possible infectious abortion requiring diagnosis and flock-wide response
• Lamb outbreak — multiple lambs with diarrhea, joint swelling, or respiratory disease

Find a sheep vet now — before lambing season begins. Use FarmVetGuide's sheep vet directory to find small ruminant practitioners in your state. See also our guides on goat veterinarians and emergency large animal vets. For more on obstetrical emergencies in small ruminants, see our related guide: Goat Kidding Problems: When to Intervene. Build your lambing kit with help from: Essential Livestock Emergency Kit for Sheep and Goat Farms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My ewe has been in labor for 2 hours with no lamb. Should I call the vet or try to help myself?

A: If she has been actively straining (visible abdominal contractions) for more than 30–45 minutes with no lamb visible and no progress, intervene. Wash your hands thoroughly, apply generous OB lubrication, and gently explore to identify the presentation. If you identify a correctable malpresentation (one leg back, head turned to the side) and feel confident correcting it, do so. If you cannot identify the problem, if the cervix is barely open (possible ringwomb), if the lamb is very large, or if any correction attempt fails within 10 minutes, call your veterinarian. Two hours in labor without delivery means you are 90–120 minutes past when you should have first checked the ewe internally.

Q: My lamb was born fine but won't stand after 2 hours. What should I do?

A: A lamb that has not stood by 2 hours post-birth needs immediate attention. Check its temperature first — rectal temperature below 37°C indicates hypothermia. Tube feed warm colostrum (60–100 mL per kg body weight), provide warmth, and keep the ewe and lamb confined in a jug. If temperature is normal but the lamb won't stand and seems unresponsive, it may be hypoglycemic — give oral propylene glycol (5 mL) or oral glucose solution, then tube feed colostrum. If the lamb is unresponsive or temperature is below 32°C, begin emergency warming and call your veterinarian.

Q: How do I know if my ewe has enough milk for twins?

A: The best indicator is lamb growth rate — lambs nursing adequately gain 150–250 grams per day in their first weeks. Weigh lambs at birth and at 7–10 days; if they have gained less than 1 kg total, the ewe is not producing enough or the lambs are not nursing effectively. Observe nursing episodes directly: lambs that nurse vigorously for 3–5 minutes four to six times per day are likely getting enough. Examine the ewe's udder — it should feel full before nursing and noticeably softer after. A one-sided udder (one half hard and hot, the other soft) indicates mastitis in the hard quarter. Offer supplemental creep feeding to all twin lambs from 2–3 weeks of age regardless.

Q: When should I start vaccinating my lambs for CDT?

A: The timing depends on whether their dam was vaccinated pre-lambing. If you vaccinated ewes with CDT 3–4 weeks before lambing and the lambs received adequate colostrum, they have maternal antibody protection for approximately 6–8 weeks — begin the CDT primary series at 6–8 weeks of age (two doses 3–4 weeks apart). If the dam was not vaccinated or vaccination history is unknown, start at 2–3 weeks of age. The two-dose primary series is critical — a single dose does not provide adequate protection against type D (overeating disease). Annual boosters follow. For lambs marketed before 8 weeks, CDT is still recommended given the tetanus risk from docking and castration alone.

Q: I found a very cold lamb (looks dead) in the pasture. Should I try to revive it?

A: Yes — always check for heartbeat before giving up. Place your hand firmly on the left chest wall behind the elbow. A very slow, faint heartbeat (as low as 20–30 beats per minute) is enough to work with. Begin warming immediately by any means available. If you have propylene glycol or glucose solution, give it orally carefully. If the lamb's temperature is below 32°C and it is unresponsive, do not tube feed until you have begun warming — the stomach is not functional at this temperature. Contact your veterinarian for guidance on intraperitoneal glucose injection, which can be life-saving in severely hypothermic and hypoglycemic lambs. Even lambs that appear dead for up to 30 minutes have been successfully revived with aggressive warming and glucose support.